First drive: 2011 Mini Cooper S

A small car with big drive

By David Booth, Postmedia News

Originally published: November 4, 2010

SMALL

MEDIUM

LARGE

One of the few advantages — and there are very, very few — of aging is that, for the male of the species, at least, there comes (a not necessarily unwanted) reduction in our desire to, ahem, roam. Our eyes wander less, our tendency to drool — our mouths quite literally open — is much reduced, and there comes a certain contentment (and, guys, if you know what’s good for you, you’re nodding your head vigorously at this point) that we have chosen well. Maturity, hopefully, brings a certain satisfaction with what is in your own backyard rather than the far-flung fields over the next hill.

OK, forgive the rather obtuse way of stating the obvious, more honestly attributed by our libidos waning rather than any great insight or strengthening of our moral fibre. Whatever the reason, we (hopefully) become less testosterone-driven horndog and more thoughtful family man, more content with what we have than what we’re missing.

I’m beginning to get the same feeling about BMW’s Mini Cooper. Perhaps it’s old age, maybe I’ve just got a thing for Minis or, as BMW would no doubt like us to believe, its remake of the iconic microcar is actually timeless, but the 2011 Mini still seems as fresh as the day it was unveiled in 2001. Yes, the tail lights are now LEDs, the headlights are trimmed in black and they now swivel when turning, but it matters not. The basic shape, despite a complete redesign in 2007, remains the same and is not lesser in any way for it. Indeed, Mini may be the one exception to the automotive marketing rule that only brand new designs sell well. The little roustabouts could well be the Harley-Davidsons of the automotive world, selling variations of a timeless theme ad nauseam without any diminishing of its popularity.

Though its brilliant styling is no doubt the most significant reason people fork over relatively big bucks for a relatively small car, it’s hardly the only rationale for the continuing popularity of the Mini.

Size limitations aside, the Cooper — especially the turbocharged S — is among the best cars available at any price. For one thing, the Mini drives big. By that I mean it has stability and comportment beyond its diminutive size. Side winds hardly bother the Cooper and its riding-on-rails stability at speed challenges even the best of full-sized German luxury sedans. If the measure of an automobile’s comportment is its ability to disguise speed, then the Mini is at the very head of the class. A go-to-jail, do-not-pass-go 150 kilometres an hour feels like a mere 110 behind the wheel of a Cooper S; no other small car on the planet can match its implacable manner.

Yet, the Mini Cooper S retains all the agility a small car should. Wander off the superslab on to a twisty back road and the car that was just a cruise missile transforms into a go-kart. It dives for apexes like paparazzi for a Britney Spears shot. Grip if you’re riding on the Cooper S’s P195/55R16 tires is prodigious and roll, thanks to suspension calibrated sports car firm, is minimal. You can eventually get the front end to understeer, but by that time you’re almost assuredly in way over your head — or being chased by the local constabulary.

The engine likewise punches above its weight. Though it displaces but 1.6 litres, the Cooper S really scoots — to 100 km/h in just seven seconds, says BMW — thanks to a bunch of advanced technology that includes turbocharging and direct fuel injection. Like the rest of the car, there are minor changes. Horsepower is up nine to 181, thanks to variable valve timing on the inlet camshaft, but performance was always more than adequate. The engine is also relatively sophisticated with none of the roughness associated with high-revving four-bangers. Its only (slight) fault is a softness right off idle that can cause stalling until you learn to feed in the throttle more aggressively.

Inside, the Mini is equally inviting. Again, BMW will make much of the changes for 2011. All of the buttons and switches on the centre console below the centre speedo are now black and the air conditioning controls are bordered by a chrome ring. But, really, it is the very goodness or, more accurately, the cuteness of the basic layout that is the attraction. That large, centrally located speedometer, the equally round tachometer and the très retro array of toggle switches have all been a part of the Mini resurrection since its inception and not an iota less attractive for their consistency. Every time I sit in a Mini, I’m reminded that I could easily spend years behind its wheel and never grow tired of the view.

Of course, there are size limitations. The basic Mini is best at accommodating two adults. Four can fit, but those in the rear had better be tiny. And you can forget about taking four persons’ cargo. The trunk only becomes remotely expansive when the rear seats are folded down. If you need more room and are determined to Mini it, both the Clubman and the Countryman offer more space.

But what those aforementioned versions don’t offer is the satisfaction of the sheer rightness of the basic Mini’s design.

No, the Mini is not perfect: The wind noise at speed is far more than acceptable and the radio’s reception is decidedly spotty. But, like the man who marries well, it’s all overshadowed by the knowledge that, every morning, when you wander into the garage, you know that you have indeed chosen well.